ASP.NET Versus PHP: Which is the Right Choice?

March 5, 2023 / Web Development

ASP.NET and PHP are two scripting languages used to develop websites and other web applications. Both provide developers with a wide range of capabilities but there are differences between them that might make one the better choice for you. Here we look at their similarities and differences.

The Main difference between ASP.NET and PHP

The key difference between the two languages is that ASP.NET is a Microsoft platform used to create websites and applications that run on Windows operating systems, while PHP is an open-source platform that is used to develop applications on a wide range of mainly Linux operating systems.

  • Cost comparison

    PHP is a free-to-use, open-source technology and works primarily on free, open-source Linux operating systems. ASP.NET, on the other hand, is a proprietary scripting language owned by Microsoft and requires a licencing fee to use. As it runs on Windows operating systems, users will also need to pay to licence Windows as well.

    However, while there is a cost difference, it is not restrictive. Windows hosting, which comes with ASP.NET and Windows Server included, isn’t much more expensive than its Linux equivalent. For this reason, cost should not be a decisive factor when making your choice.

  • Access to developers and support

    As it is open source and free to use, there are far more PHP developers available to build websites and other applications compared to ASP.NET developers. This can affect both the availability of developers and the cost of developing web applications. The specialist nature of ASP.NET makes development more expensive.

    The situation with support is similar. While there are online tutorials and helpful websites for both ASP.NET and PHP, there are many more PHP sources available. A good web host, however, should be able to provide support with both.

  • ASP.NET uses

    ASP.NET is both a web development platform and a programming model that enables developers to build robust web applications for computers and mobiles. One of its advantages is that it is built on Common Language Runtime (CLR). This makes it language independent, enabling developers to write code using any .NET-supported scripting languages, such as C# and VB.NET. Additionally, it also supports CSS, HTML and JavaScript.

    ASP.NET can also be used to build dynamic web pages. What’s more, it can combine server code with HTML in a way that is both lightweight and fast. This enables programmers to develop large and complex websites that include video content, links to social media sites, and comply with the latest web standards.

  • PHP uses

    Developed in 1994, PHP is the most popular open-source, general-purpose, server-side scripting language and is predominantly used to create dynamic websites and applications. Major web creation platforms like WordPress and Magento are written in PHP and their success has been influential in PHP’s adoption and developmental progress over the decades.

    PHP can be easily integrated with many of the databases required for use in web applications, most notably MySQL. It is fast at executing and supports a wide range of protocols, including POP3 and IMAP which are required for email. As there is additional support for JavaScript, as well as distributed object architectures, PHP can also be used for multi-tier development. The platform also includes many open-source libraries and modules for accessing database and FTP servers.

ASP.NET and PHP cons

ASP.Net can be a challenge to learn, making users more reliant on third-party developer help when building websites and other applications. To use it, users will need a Microsoft server so will need to familiarise themselves with how these operate differently from the more commonly used Linux servers. Users will also have ongoing licencing costs and will have to rely on a smaller pool of community support.

While PHP is great for building websites, unlike ASP.Net, it is not really suitable for creating desktop applications. It can also run slower than other scripting languages. One of the biggest advantages of PHP being open source, its ability to be customised, can also be its Achilles heel. Tweaking its coding can result in bugs and vulnerabilities if not done properly. As ASP.NET is proprietary software, customisation is not allowed and so these issues are less frequent. In relation to this, PHP error handling can make it more difficult to find out why a piece of coding doesn’t run as well as it should.

Conclusion

Both ASP.NET and PHP are widely used and robust platforms for building websites and other web applications. ASP.NET is a proprietary technology reliant on a Windows operating system, while PHP is open source and works mainly with Linux OS. Hopefully, from reading the information above concerning their similarities and differences, you will now have a better understanding of which is right for you. For more information about our Windows and Linux hosting plans, visit our homepage.

Author

  • Arjun Shinde

    I'm an experienced digital marketer with expertise in planning, SEO, SEM, and social media. I'm good at creating engaging content and optimising campaigns for a strong online presence.

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1 Comment

  1. PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) and ASP (Active Server Pages) both are server side programming language used to create dynamic web content that can interact with databases and exchange information.
    PHP is better than ASP bcoz it is an open source, it has inbuilt features and can be embedded into HTML pages. It is often used with MySQL and it can be used on multiple platforms like Linux, Unix, Windows and Solaris and it can connect to various databases.

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